


Moonstruck

by chelseyelric



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Halloween challenge to myself, Hannictober, Hannigram - Freeform, Kissing/Make Out in chapter 28, M/M, POV First Person, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, canon typical descriptions of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-18 23:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 14,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8180434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseyelric/pseuds/chelseyelric
Summary: Will Graham is an ex-cop moving to Baltimore to be closer to his new job with the FBI. He finds the perfect home which had been owned in the early 20th century by a famous cannibal named Hannibal Lecter VIII. When strange things begin happening on the property, Will must discern reality from his imagination and find if he is losing his sanity or if there may be supernatural forces at work.Read the printed text of Will Graham's audio recordings and decide for yourself.**Work Complete**





	1. Testing

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! Chelseyelric here to wish all you fannibals a Happy Halloween month. XD To celebrate this wonderful time of year, I will be attempting one of the most difficult tasks I've ever given myself: writing a new part to a fic every day for a month! That's right, until the end of October, I will try to update with something EVERY SINGLE DAY!
> 
> As stated in the tags, the tags and rating may change as I go so be prepared and enjoy taking this journey with Will.
> 
> (... Indicates a short pause)
> 
> (*---* Indicates a long pause or the recorder not in use)
> 
>  
> 
> MOONSTRUCK:
> 
> -adjective
> 
> 1\. mentally deranged, supposedly by the influence of the moon; crazed.
> 
> 2\. dreamily romantic or bemused.

*---*

"Uh, my name is Will Graham. It's...9:37am and I'm driving along I95 to my Baltimore showings....

"God, I hope this recording thing doesn't stay this awkward. If I'm not even going to be showing my psychiatrist this thing, why do I have to do it? They're actually not even my psychiatrist anymore so I probably won't remember to record much...

"I don't recall moving being nearly this annoying. Though, I guess I haven't moved since I was in high school and didn't have to worry about the actual house hunting, buying and moving process. Just kinda had to ride along and stay happy about everything...

"So...yeah, kinda bummed. I was really hoping to snag that little place out in Wolf's Trap, Virginia. The fields out back would have been perfect for all of us but, according to the realtor, a newly wed couple offered the full amount in cash before I even had time to place a bid. I have literally no idea how they could afford to do it in this econ-

"Fuck! What the hell, asshole! Guy almost swerved into me on an empty goddamn street! Jesus...

*---*

"Oh, right. I was recording. So, how can a couple of kids have that kind of money saved? Makes no sense to me but I guess what's done is done...

"Wow...I can't believe I'm actually not in Louisiana anymore. The air here smells really different. I wonder how the pack will like it...

"Why are we so far in the city? Thiiiiis doesn't look right.

"How do I turn thi-

*---*

"Yeah, so, that's defiantly not happening. Way out of my budget range and surrounded by concrete and cars on all sides. I thought I told him I'm only interested in rural areas with a large private yard. I didn't want to say anything while we were there. Why get the guy angry when we have three more stops together today? He may have been doing it on purpose to test my tastes, but I don't know. I just hope he can get it straight with the next house...

"Oh Lord, people are waiving...

*---*

"That one wa- where's my phone?...

"Crap...

"I didn't leave it in...there we go. Okay. So this place was fine. More suburban than rural and nothing really special. It seemed like a little bit of a fixer upper. I kind of prefer something ready to move into. Um...I liked that it was near the docks but other than that...

"On to option number three...

"Oh, wait, maybe food first. Yeah.

*---*

"-anks. Oh, wait, I didn't get ketchup...

"Okay, thank you...

"Oh crap, did I bump-

*---*

"I...okay, I know that this place cannot be right...

*---*

"That place was amazing! Oh my God, where do I even begin!? Well, for starters, it's huge! It was kind of weird that we couldn't go in. Something about a mix up with the house keys or something. There's two stories that are fully furnished with this interesting old furniture I saw from the window, an add on living space and, from what I was told, a basement with more square footage than my old place. I've never seen a private garage that big in my entire life. It could easily fit a skiff or my car three times over plus engine parts. And the price! It's actually $5,000 below my range and it includes almost an acre of open land behind it? I mean, I'll bite. What the hell is the catch!?...

"I'm serious, I can't figure it out. I was a little put off when he said that it was built in, like, the 20th century or something like that. I was thinking, you know, 'oh, it's cheap because of lead paint or termites or something.' But he says it's been tested for mold and termites and that the paint is made from some kind of milk or charcoal base...

"I mean, the person who made this place was something else. I honestly don't even think the last house he has to show could compare. This might be it.

*---*


	2. Key Situation

*---*

"Okay, so I'm back at the hotel. I had...quite the interesting conversation with the realtor this afternoon. I don't want to forget what he said to me, so I'm going to retell it here in a second. Just...here, wait, let me sit down first...

"Okay, better. So I told him when he was done showing me the properties that I had my eye on the mini-mansion and he seemed...hesitant for some reason. I mean, the house was for sale, right?...

"He tried to have me go see the property near the docks again but I didn't want it. Rather, I wanted him to figure out the 'key situation' so that I could actually get a good look around...

"Strangely enough, the 'key situation' he'd been talking about had just been him keeping the thing buried in the glove compartment of his car. I was going to call him on it but the fact that I was going to see the interior of this incredible house had me too distracted...

"We walked up the steps and he stopped in front of the door looking very solemn. He said that he really wished I'd reconsider...

"I was so frustrated by that point that I came this close to physically taking the key from him when he opened the door. The old wood creaked on its hinges as it swung and we both proceeded inside...

"And it was better than I'd expected! Everything was pristine, as if it had all just been recently polished and dusted. Large framed paintings adorned the walls of the front hall and an impressive staircase lead to the floor above. I could go on and on about everything I saw on the tour: the cookware, the basement, the armoires, the books...

"But that's not the point of me recording this. I'll do a recorded walk through if I actually end up getting the place later on. No point torturing myself with imagery if I don't...

"So, at the end, we moved into the parlor. Armchairs, a table and a huge rug with rich colors greeted us, but what ended up holding my attention was the oil painting over the fireplace. A man that I can only describe as a 'regal' stared back at me with perfect posture and emotionless features. It was obvious that this man had commissioned the house be made...

""Okay, who died here?" I asked. The realtor guy stayed quiet but his shoulders went rigid. I listed all the facts I'd noticed about the property as I kept eye contact with the picture. I mentioned it's price to size, it's age, the fact that he'd been rushing through the entirety of the tour and insisting I leave, until he stopped me. I turned, confused, and he simply whispered, "Not here"...

"He adjusted his suit and made to leave the parlor when I asked, "Not here? Why not?". I didn't actually expect him to speak again, but he came uncomfortably close to me...

""A whole group was murdered here, actually," he'd said. "And...they were eaten"...

"That part actually caught me off guard. I asked "By what?" and he looked hesitantly up at the portrait behind me. "By him."...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Will isn't finished talking about this. That's why there's no hard pause at the end. He'll continue in chapter 3.)


	3. The Doctor

"We went outside after relocking the doors. The realtor seemed more comfortable out in the open then in the house. That's when he chose to elaborate on his story...

"He...God, I wish I could remember his name so I could stop saying "he." I think I have his card somewhere...

"No, wait...

"Sean! That's right. The realtor guy's name is Sean...

"So Sean told me that the man in the portrait, Dr. Hannibal Lector, had been a very famous cannibal. Aptly named "Hannibal the Cannibal" in later years. The doctor had murdered quite a few people over the course of two decades under the guise of helping them, as he was both a well known psychiatrist and socialite. He had a deep love of food and would turn his victims' bodies into culinary delights before hosting lavish diner parties to serve the creations to others...

"An original notion, to be sure, and one that I've never heard of being done in my line of work...

"Since the community and judicial system hadn't believed in incarceration for murders of such a taboo nature, they had simply overpowered him and hung him in the large oak tree out back. Rumor has it that he'd killed ten men before they were able to capture him...

"Once Sean was finished, I asked why he was so scared of the place. It wasn't like the guy was still around...

"Sean admitted that, aside from the fact that nearly the entire city believed the property to be haunted by the doctor's ghost, the middle aged couple who had previously bought the house had gone missing without a trace...

"He said that he wasn't trying to be overly superstitious but, because they'd had no motive to up and leave and the police still couldn't find any signs of them, it never hurt to have a healthy respect for the dead...

"It was hard to keep a straight face. He seemed very convinced of the house's sinister nature but it goes without saying that there are no such things as ghosts or curses. You find that out very quickly when you work with forensics and homicides. It's odd that no one knows what happened to the couple, but not odd enough to be scary. It happens more often than people like to think...

"The only thing I find at all interesting about the story is the idea that every person in the area also believes that something supernatural is happening there. It most likely means no or very few nosy neighbors coming around to "just see how you're adjusting" or "if you ever need to talk, just swing by."...

"Not to mention the unlikelihood of someone coming in to buy the property out from under me like in Wolf's Trap...

"In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm sure it's too perfect to pass up...

*---*


	4. Audio Tour

*---*

"Wow, I actually forgot about this recorder. I mean, I knew I would but-

"Kiki! Out of the garbage!...

"Yes, you. Go on...

"So...it's been a few weeks since my last recording. Sean finally relented and, even though he stuck by his weird dislike of the place, ended up doing the job I hired him for. We settled on the price, he drafted most of the contracts and had the rest of the necessary documents notarized. A more recent home inspection was conducted, my insurance was switched, etc. etc...

"Basically it was a lengthy and stressful process of meetings and paperwork that I'd just as soon forget...

"At the beginning of this week, I actually brought the few things I'd kept in the move into the house and just a few hours ago, the pack arrived from Louisiana...

"I would have brought them here myself but there was no way that, one, they would all fit in my car and, two, they would be well behaved enough on that long of a drive. Not to mention finding a hotel that accepted that many dogs at a time...

"Basically I hired a service, the pack is here now and they're having an absolute field day...

"That being said, I suppose it's as good a time as any to do that audio tour I said I'd do if I got the place. A lot easier now that I don't have to relay the odd tale of my realtor's ghost suspicions...

"So, let's start outside, I guess...

"Kiki. Don't...

"Alright, so, I'm here in the gravel drive next to my sedan. It's really spacious, cutting a trail all the way to the main road which is a good...I don't know, quarter mile? It's almost like having a private street...

"As you turn back toward the house, on the right is the monstrously huge multicar garage. Right now, there isn't much occupying the space but hopefully I'll be getting some fishing done soon. Who knows, maybe I'll buy a boat motor for cheap to fix in my spare time...

"Behind the-jeez, almost tripped...

"Behind the house is the field. I say field and not yard because you can barely see the edges of the trees in the distance marking the edge of the property. It just goes on and on. Buster and Frankie really seem to be enjoying it right now...

"Also back here is the cellar door and the porch...

"Woah, okay. I'll have to fill that hole later. Wouldn't want the dogs to hurt themselves. But I guess I can't find and fill all the holes out there...

"So, I'm back at the front and, looking up, it's...it's beautiful...

"The first thing you notice is the color. The entire house is a rich, welcoming brown with white accents. The thing I noticed next was how the second story looms above you. Most would probably feel intimidated by its size, but I feel...comfortable...

"One large triangular window winks down when the light hits it just right. It's much more different than the two semi-dark ones that stand on either side of the front door...

"The door itself is a deep red-brown that accentuates the rest of the house quite well, but I'm not good enough with knowing the diffident types to tell what it actually is...

"I especially like the brass knocker. I'm hoping I won't hear it much other than the gentle taps it makes when I come and go...

"Onto the inside...

"The front hall is...probably the smallest space in the house, but it welcomes you and directs you toward the rest of the place...like it's guiding you...

"A coat closet is to the immediate right...

"Ahead and to the right is the staircase. It doesn't spiral but it is quite wide. Almost as wide as the hall itself...

"You could turn to the left into the parlor, but I'm going to move onto the kitchen first, which is straight ahead. A large island countertop takes up a majority of the space. Very odd for the time in which the house was built, but it's obvious that the good doctor didn't seem to care about rigorous social normalities...

"An impressive mahogany table can be seen in the other room, surrounded by deep blue wallpaper and under a stag's nine point rack...

"The cupboards are fully stocked with cooking and silverware. I was told that they belonged to the previous couple...

"Hey, Duke. Done exploring?...

"Turning to the left is the parlor, which is by far my favorite place in the house. Who wouldn't want a room with a multiple shelved bookcase?... 

"It's magnificent. The grand fireplace, built with some maroon stone, is what immediately draws the eye. And, by default, the portrait above it. I'm not sure why the couple here before me hadn't taken it down but I definitely will in the next few days. I don't feel it's appropriate to constantly see who's house I'm living in. Who's home I've taken for myself...

"Huh...

"His...eyes are the same color as the fireplace stone...

"I didn't-

"Kiki! What did I sa-

*---*

"So I've been cleaning up packing peanuts and garbage for the past half hour. Kiki managed to drag the whole bag through most of the house before I caught her...

"Uh...to sum the tour up, upstairs is a master bedroom that's almost as big as the lower floor plan with a four poster the likes of which I've never seen...

"There is no bathroom in the house, but it is connected to the house, which is what the add on room ended up being. I thought it was weird at first but I've sort of grown to like the idea...

"And other than the basement, which is just as vast and nearly empty as the master bedroom, that's about it...

"I should probably call the pack inside and get their dinner set out...

"I'm not really sure when I'll record next...

*---*


	5. Evil Minds Research Museum

*---*

"Test. Test test. Aw, come on. I don't want to have to repla-

*---*

"Okay, good. This thing isn't broken. It probably wasn't very smart to have tossed my bag when I got through the door but I am just really goddamned pissed right now...

"I suppose since I've already got this thing out and ready, it would be as good a time as any to rant...

"Where the hell did I put that bourbon...

"Jack Crawford. That man...

"Where exactly does he get off agreeing to calling the extensive collection of serial killer artifacts obtained by the FBI the "Evil Minds Research Museum?"...

"Why not just the "Serial Killer Minds Museum" or something to that effect?...

"You know, something a little less offensive to the killers' families or mythologizing to banal and cruel men who don't deserve to be thought of as supervillains...

"And I told him as much. I didn't care how new I was because I felt it had to be said...

"I mean, how could someone like that not only be the head of the Behavioral Science Unit but be happy that it got greenlit by his superiors with that sort of name?...

"It makes no sense to me...

"Hey...hey, guys. What are you all looking at? Huh?...

"Is there something over there?...

"Come here...

"There we go. See? There's nothing in the parlor...

"Here, let's get your din-

*---*

"Off the subject of Crawford, I would also like to know what kind of person calls himself a "serial killer groupie" and collects 25 years worth of killer merch. But, after all that time, all that money and research, for some reason, they decide to donate it all. And to the FBI, no less... 

"You know, the people who stop the killers they seemed to idolize?...

"I'm not sure how many more times I can say that it doesn't make sense...

"At least the place isn't open to the public. Wouldn't want to inadvertently inspire anyone...

"Actually...there may be something to this recording thing...

"I'm definitely not as pissed as I was...

"Maybe I'll make this a more regular thing in the future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short but I think it furthers the story just fine. :3 plus, I have about 26 more updates to work on making them longer XD
> 
> As a side note, there really is an Evil Minds Research Museum beneath the FBI headquarters and there really was a "serial killer groupie" who gave up most of their items to furnish it. If you're interested, you should definitely google it :3


	6. Visitor

*---*

"Hmm...this one looks as good as any. I'll try it, I guess...

*---*

"Okay, yeah, that definitely didn't end up looking like the picture. Too much oil, maybe? But, I mean, it smelled okay. Hopefully it'll turn out...

*---*

"I have absolutely no idea how I ended up dropping it, but on a more interesting note, the pack didn't swarm the mess like they normally would have. Just kinda...sat there and watched as I picked up the bigger pieces...

"It could have been that I just messed it up so bad this time that they didn't want to come anywhere near it, but I've done much worse before...

"Kinda weird but I'm certainly not complaining that my dogs are mysteriously getting better manners. Maybe the move did more good than I thought...

"Come on, everyone, outside...

"Now where'd I leave the mop?...

*---*

"Okay, guys, come back in...

"Buster, that means you, too...

"Hey! Drop that!...

"Good boy...

"Let's see what I can't throw together here now that my attempt at dinner is in the garbage...

"No...

"Maybe? Nah, had that last ni-

"Woah! Hey, guys. Kss, kss! Calm down. It's just the doorbell...

"...

"Hey, Will...

"Sean? What are you doing here? Is...is something wrong?...

"No, no. I just came by to check on you, see how you've settled in. Y'know. No neighbors and all. So, in a way, I was hoping you could tell me...

"Everything's fine, I guess. The dogs are loving it. There've only been a few minor things with the plumbing but it's nothing I can't handle myself. Honestly, I'm surprised to even see you here. You know, since you hate this place so much...

"Haha...yeah...

"Oh my God, that's why you're here, isn't it? You don't care how I am, you want to see if anything supernatural's been happening...

"I mean...aren't they one and the same thing?...

"I don't believe so, no. Was that all?

"...you really haven't noticed anything unusual? Or found anything interesting about Dr. Lecter?...

"I hate to disappoint, but I don't actually find anything terribly interesting about the good doctor aside from the fact that he keeps the majority of people away by the mere mention of his name...

"I'm certain you will in time...

"Goodbye, Sean...

*---*

"...I think I'll just eat out tonight...

*---*

"Freddie Lounds has officially crossed a line today!...

"I've seen some appalling things come from her, but this is on a whole new level...

"How can she actually consider herself a reputable and unbiased journalist when she accuses the family members of killers of aiding them without any concrete evidence or motive!?...

"It's just tasteless click bait...

"This day just needs to be over. I'm going to have a drink and go to bed...

*---*


	7. Don't Psychoanalyze Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy end of week one, everyone! Thanksgiving much for sticking with me! I love you all!

*---*

"Alright. Bedtime...

*---*

"I...don't remember what happened last night but...apparently I recorded it...

"It sounds like...I was talking to someone. Complaining...

"Here, I'll play it back and listen to it. I think it's this butto-

*---*

"It's a little quiet and I'm almost certain that I was sleeping during this thing because, as loud as I turn up the volume, I can't hear anyone speaking back to me...

"I'm going to try and piece it together as best I can...

"Um...there's no sound for a bit. Tasteless, I suddenly comment unprovoked. I could have been talking about the Tattle Crime article from yesterday or, realistically any number of things...

"Then, whoever I dreamt I was talking to must have asked me something. Like, if I had trouble with taste or something to that degree...

"My thoughts are often not tasty, my recorded self shot back. I told them that I build forts. I'm not sure why I told them that. I've never told anyone that without provocation. I wish I could remember...

"They were quiet here, I think, until they must have mentioned something about eye contact...

"Oh, God, now even my dream manifestations are becoming intrusive and prodding...

"A pause until I sigh. Eyes are distracting, I say. You see too much, you don't see enough. And...and it's hard to focus when you're thinking, "Oh, those whites are really white" or "He must have hepatitis" or "Is that a burst vein?" So, yeah, I confirmed. I try to avoid eyes whenever possible...

"There's rhythmic thumping in the background. I assume that I'm moving through the house and spooking the dogs because gentle yips play on the recording...

"I sound very angry, then. Asking who's profile they're working on...

"I'm...more than a little confused at this. I haven't had anyone attempt a psych profile on me in years, so why would I ask something so specific yet random in a dream?...

"The silence returns. Nothing but static until I speak again...

"Please don't psychoanalyze me. You would't like me when I'm psychoanalyzed. Now. If you excuse me, I have to finish my lecture...on psychoanalyzing...

"What? I've never held a lecture on psychoanalysis...

"More rhythmic thumping...

"I think I can hear a door opening...

"Closing...

"Then, that's it until I recorded myself finding this this morning...

"I'm not sure what to make of it...

"I mean, I don't know of a time that I've ever spoken in my sleep, especially not so clearly audible. But I've also never recorded myself while I slept...

"Maybe I've always talked so vividly in my sleep and just hadn't realized...

"This was a random way to start a work day...

"I could really use some coffee...

*---*


	8. Winston

"I just saw a stray on the side of the road. At least I'm assuming it was a stray. I didn't see a collar, but I was going almost 40...

"I was driving home from work but I'm circling back to where I saw it. It's about...6pm right now. Luckily, the road is almost empty, but the light's fading. I hope I can find it again before it gets fully dark...

*---*

"There! Crap, it ran...

*---*

"Come on, buddy. Where'd you go?...

*---*

"Hey, you. Where are you go...aw. It ran again...

*---*

"Here. Got something for you...

"It's okay. Come on, bud...

"There you go...

"How would you like to come home with me?...

*---*

"So...yeah, I ended up managing to get him to come home with me...

"He looks like some kind of mix. Maybe Aussie and German Shepard?...

"I decided to name him Winston. He looks like a Winston...

"He was filthy, so I had to bathe him in the garage before letting him in the house...

"I'm putting him in Buster's old cage so that I can safely introduce him to the rest of the pack. We'll see how everyone takes it...

*---*

"Everyone's asleep in front of the fire. I wish my phone had a camera. Maybe I'll upgrade while I'm out taking Winston to the vet tomorrow...

*---*

"The vet gave Winston his shots and a clean bill of health. Onto PetSmart...

*---*

"-redit. No, wait. I have cash. Oh, can I also get a bag fo-...

*---*

"Our newest member now has proper identification. It's a simple black collar, but I think it suits him...

"I'm just going to drop him off at the house while I head to trade in my phone...

*---*

"I'm glad that didn't take long, I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time to grade those papers. But it was a long overdue change...

"Hey, everyone. I'm home. Did you all behave?...

"Where's Winston?...

"Winst-

"Hey bud, what're you looking at?...

"You're doing it too now, huh? Look, there's nothing in the parlor. See?...

"Fine. Have fun staring, but it's dinner time...

*---*

"There you go, guys...

"Oh, look who came after all. Get bored?...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Winston has arrived, y'all!


	9. Stag

"This has officially freaked me out...

"I just came back inside from waking up standing where the drive meets the street...

"It's still dark out, I'm cold and my feet are covered in mud so I can only guess what I was doing out there...

"I actually remember very vividly what I dreamt about. Which is good because, apparently, my sleepwalking self didn't take it upon himself to record anything that was physically happening this time...

"I don't want to forget it, so I guess this is going to be another weird dream retelling...

"I dreamt that I was following a stag. I'm not sure what the subconscious implications of that are, but it wasn't just any stag. It was tall and somehow intelligent and covered head to toe in pitch black feathers...

"It was so ethereal and graceful. It's coat gleamed in the moonlight like the rippling water of a windy lake...

"It simply stared back occasionally as it walked, as if waiting for me to understand something important but...I just couldn't...

"We wandered in what I thought was an aimless pattern in the woods until we approached the field behind the house...

"The stag disappeared entirely from my view for a few moments and I felt lost, anxious...

"Until a man with skin as dark as the stag's coat and completely bare stood at the edge of the clearing in front of me...

"A large, sinister looking rack of antlers adorned his smooth head...

"I asked what he wanted from me, knowing him to be the embodiment of the stag...

"Or it could have been that the stag was his embodiment, but I digress...

"He didn't react to my question, rather, he moved forward and I felt compelled to follow...

"We reached the house much faster than we should have, but I guess time and distance don't really hold up in dreams...

"We were near the cellar door when he stopped again...

"I gazed around him, looking for anything that might seem out of place, but I still couldn't see anything...

"That was when he turned to face me and I was...I don't know how to describe how I felt...

"Fear...curiosity...envy and longing were a few of the many emotions that flashed through me and I wasn't sure if they were my own feelings or my mind interpreting his own as mine...

"He drew closer, his eyes fully white and blank, and I was conflicted between fleeing and staying still...

"I didn't have to make that decision, because he skirted around me to lead me away...

"I felt as if I had...disappointed him in a way, but I wasn't sure how...

"I guess I didn't really understand much of anything in this dream...

"We walked to the end of the drive, almost to the street...

"And that's exactly where I woke up with Winston nudging my leg...

"Okay...I'm glad I got that down but I'm exhausted and I work in a few hours...

"God, I could use a hot sho-

*---*


	10. Cookbook

"So...I'm standing in the parlor right now and one of the books just fell off the bookshelf...

"It narrowly missed me, actually. I don't think that I bumped anything but I guess I must have...

"Or maybe it was one of the dogs and I didn't notice?...

"I should let them out, by the way...

"Let's see. It looks like a cookbook that was written by hand but I can't really read it. More than likely having belonged to Dr. Lecter...

"I'm not sure how I feel about holding it...

"Most of the recipes seem like they're in some language I've never seen before...

"Actually, there're a lot of different languages used in here...

"It's good that there are pictures or I don't think I'd even know what this was...

"Oh, wait. There are a few in English near the back...

"Well, sort of...

"Even though the instructions are in English, I still have no idea what any of these ingredients are...

"This book...this took some time. And a lot of meticulous planning by the looks of it...

"I assumed, you know, him being a cannibal and all, that there would be more meat only dishes than there are. But he has everything from soups to desserts in here...

"He had perfect penmanship, unlike a lot of doctors I've met. I'm not sure if that makes me angry that there's not one stroke out of pla-

"Oh! There's one for rockfish!...

*---*

"Okay, it says I need six filets but since I already have two frozen I'm just going to cut up the one I caught yesterday and make three to halve the recipe. I mean there's no way I'm going to eat any more than that on my own so it only makes sense...

"I don't have canola oil but I checked my phone before I started. It said I should be able to re-

"Ow! Dammit!...

"Jesus, I cut my finger...

"Great, and now I've got blood down my arm and on the counter...

"I think I put the first aid kit in the bathroom...

*---*

"Okay, good news is the bleeding stopped so I probably won't need stitches...

"I'll have to watch and make sure it doesn't reopen...

"Just in case I should google the nearest hospital since I have no idea where it is...

"...

"Duke? Did you try to sneak a snack off the counter?...

"Looks like he must have just flailed around once he got his paws up here because my camera function's open on my phone and he smeared my blood around a bit...

"Haha, he even managed to take a blurry picture of himself...

"Wait...

"I didn't let Duke back in yet...

"...

"...hello?...

"...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter actually creeped me out when I went back to proof read it. *shiver*


	11. Lazy Day

"I didn't sleep very well last night. Even though I probably just overreacted yesterday, I was still a little...put off...

"After a thorough check of the house, or as thorough as I could get, there wasn't anyone or anything in here...

"I'm honestly not really sure what I'd expected to find...

"I must have just not noticed that I bumped the counter as I went to patch myself up...

"But my imagination doesn't seem to care too much about rationality when darkness falls...

"Um...my cut hasn't reopened and doesn't seem infected, so I guess there's that. Wouldn't want a huge hospital bill after moving due to nothing but my own clumsiness...

"The best news about today is that I have off so I don't have to pretend to be alert...

"I think I'm going to try and make up some of the sleep I lost and maybe get a few errands done...

*---*

"Just got back from the auto parts store in town. After doing a quick once over of my car, I noticed one of my tail lights were out so I picked one up...

"I should let the dogs out while I replace it. Should be no more than a ten minute fix...

*---*

"So Kiki decided to make a mess again...

"Luckily, it wasn't in the house this time but, unluckily, she managed to get everyone in on it so it's especially big...

"Now I have a garbage and mud covered front yard and a pack of dogs in the same shape...

"...

"Et tu, Winston?...

*---*

"Alright. That's one freshly bathed pack and one newly working tail light...

"I think I would call this a fairly productive day...

"The only thing left to do now is shower and wash my clothes...

"Eh...might as well get a few loads done while I'm at it...

*---*

"So, I'm looking through the cookbook again for more recipes while I'm waiting for the towels to dry. You know, since the fish ended up turning out so well yesterday, and...I think I've seen some of these herbs mentioned in here somewhere...

"Where have I seen them?...

*---*

"I figured it out. Where I've seen the herbs before...

"They're growing in small bunches in the shaded patch under the oak tree...

"They look like bits of...hmm...that smells like mint...

"Simple enough...

"This yellow green one could be golden oregano, but I'm not really sure...

"And...oh, this one's probably lemon balm. It looks like that's one the book says can be used in fish...

"Good to know...

"Maybe I'll use some, soon...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will just needed a little normalcy after yesterday's scare.


	12. Job Offer

*---*

"Okay, so, here's the thing...

"In a...completely unexpected turn of events, Jack Crawford approached me after class today...

"I mean, the last time I'd even thought about him was when we'd had that disagreement about the name of the Evil Minds Research Museum earlier this year...

"Right off the bat, he said that he thought he understood how difficult it was for me to be social because I'd "hitched my horse to a teaching post"...

"He apparently doesn't know anything about being social because talking at a group of people paying to listen to you doesn't entail the need to listen back or truly interact with anyone...

"He actually had the nerve after that to ask me "where I fell on the spectrum" and, though I suppose I could have just walked away at that point, the question was one that tended to get a rise out of me...

"I explained to him the awkward notion that I had diagnosed myself to be close to Aspergers and autism...

"He, apparently had a third foot to stick in his mouth, because he then insisted that I am able to empathize with narcissistic sociopaths...

"I argued that I don't actually empathize with them. What I do simply has to do with having an active imagination and it can be done with anyone, not just sociopaths...

"I prepared to go, collecting my papers and briefcase. I wasn't in the mood to stand by and be told what Jack Crawford thought about me all night, but he stopped me at the door...

"He said that he wanted to borrow my imagination...

"I swiftly turned him down...

"I'm not really sure why I did it. I mean, it probably had something to do with me just not liking Jack's attitude toward me, but...I also think it may have been because I feel as if my life is currently pretty fulfilled...

"I realized that I didn't feel comfortable with the idea of being in the actual line of duty anymore...

"I feel as if I put my "skills" to good use here at the academy, teaching others how to do what I used to because they see a future for themselves in this line of work...

"More power to them, I say...

"He insisted that he needed me out there in the field with him, but I remained adamant and left him standing there...

"I feel fairly confident in my decision...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, seems as though Will has begun to subconsciously ostracize himself. How will that play out in the near future?


	13. Eyes in the Dark

*---*

I am buying a security system in the morning...

*---*

"Okay, I'm a bit calmer than I was last night so I think I can listen to and explain the recording I found. It seems as though I was sleep walking again and this time...when I spoke...I heard another voice that wasn't mine as I played it...

"A voice I've never heard before that I repeatedly call Dr. Lecter...

"Needless to say I was pretty upset...

"But I've checked the house, top to bottom this time, and found no signs of forced entry and nothing out of the ordinary...

"The only explanation I can think of is that either I was talking in my sleep to myself in another voice or...

"No, there is no other option. That must be it...

"Right?...

*---*

"Silence. A little static. It sounds as if I might be moving around... 

""Tell me about your mother," came a soft, lilting voice, faint in the background...

""That's some lazy psychiatry, Doctor Lecter," I, in my normal voice reply. "Low hanging fruit"...

"I agree with that statement. One doesn't need to try very hard to see an emotional opening regarding one's parents...

"A slight breath. "I suspect that fruit is on a high branch. Very difficult to eat"...

""So's my mother," I reply. Odd wording, I have to admit, but I get what my subconscious was trying to say. "Never knew her"...

""An interesting place to start"...

"I think I sat down here. By the sound of it, on the leather loveseat in the parlor. "Tell me about your mother, Doctor. Let's start there"...

"A pause. "Both my parents died when I was very young. The proverbial orphan until I was adopted by my Uncle Robertus when I was 16"...

"Who the hell decides to adopt a kid at 16? They're practically grown by that point...

"Instead of pointing that out, I sigh loudly through the speaker. "There's something so foreign about family. Like an ill fitting suit. I never connected to the concept"...

"Why...am I always so open with my idea of this guy? I've never admitted that to anyone...

""You created a family for yourself"...

""I connect to the...family-less strays"...

""Did your family have money, Will?"...

"Okay, that was a bit of a left turn in the questioning...

"It sounds like I stood again. Silence, then creaking wood. Maybe that's where I walked down to the basement...

""No, we were poor. I followed my father from the...boat yards of Greenville to lake boats on Eire"...

"The sound of movement stops...

""Always the new boy at school. Always the stranger"...

"In a weird way...I like how this voice sounds. Even if it's most likely my own...

""Always." I hear the small smirk in my original voice...

"Then nothing for about a minute...

"I think this is where I woke up, because I can hear my heavy breathing and frantic shifting...

"I was staring intently at the oil painting of Dr. Lecter, his features smooth and perfect in the near dark...

"The only light was the dim kitchen light shining through the doorway. His maroon eyes seemed to bore into mine...

"This recorder was in my hand...

"I...I don't want to listen to this recording again. I think I'll dele-

"Kiki! Are you in the ga-

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems as though Will never remembered to delete this entry.


	14. Lunch

*---*

"Alana invited me to lunch tomorrow afternoon...

"It's so odd to think that I haven't spent any time outside of work with someone who I consider one of my only friends here...

"And that's exactly the reason that I can't help but feel as if there may be some ulterior motive to this... 

*---*

"Wow. You set your bag down kind of hard...

"Did I? I hadn't noticed...

"How are you feeling, Will?...

"I have no idea...

"That sounds a lot like you. I'm re-reading Flannery O'Connor in my spare time right now. This may sound random, but when I was a teenager, I was obsessed. I even tried to raise peacocks because she raised peacocks but...they are really stupid birds...

"...

"Is something wrong?...

"Did Jack Crawford send you?...

"No...I sent me...

"I don't think we've ever been in a room alone together, have we?...

"I haven't noticed. Have we? Not that we're necessarily alone now in a room full of our fellow restaurant patrons...

"Heh, yeah, right...

"Can I get you two anything?...

"Coffee, please...

"Uh...I'll have a coke...

"...

"Jack Crawford has asked me to try and persuade you to join him...

"Oh, is that so? I knew I hadn't seen the end of his persistence...

"We don't have to talk about him if you don't want to...

"We can talk about or not talk about anything you want, Alana...

"Yes, but I'm not going to push you if that's not what you want. Do you want to even go back to the field? Because I know that you don't. Don't feel bad because you enjoy what you're doing and don't want to actually go out in the field again. For enjoying your new job and new house and new life...

"I...I don't feel bad about it. I feel...good...

"That's the best anyone can ask for, isn't it?...

"You two ready to order?...

"Yep...

"Yeah...

*---*

"I swear to God I'm going to end up with more candid recordings than purposeful ones...

"But I guess I don't mind keeping this one...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy second week! XD


	15. Sean

*---*

"I think I just heard something outside. Come on, Winston...

"...

"Sean? What the hell are you doing here?...

"Oh, hey. I just came to see how you're holding up. Still doing alright? How are things? I see you got another dog...

"...

"Can I come in?...

"Okay, Sean, look. I may have been at least understanding of you being here in the daylight when I'd first moved in. But it is now 9pm and pitch black on a Tuesday night months later. Where do you draw the line between pleasantly thoughtful and weirdly invasive? And, might I add, for a guy who's supposedly terrified of this house, you sure do like to stop by...

"I'm sorry. I...didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I really am just wondering how you're feeling...

"I'm fine, thank you. Goodbye...

"Wait...you're still not noticing anything?...

"Oh, God, not this again, Sean...

"But...

"Listen to me. I appreciate you setting me up with this place, really, I do. But I feel as if I'm not out of line in saying that I don't want to see you on my property uninvited again or I will call the police...

"I-

"Do I make myself clear?...

"...

"...

"Yes. Again, I'm very sorry...

"You drive safe now...

*---*

"Jesus that was creepy...

"I'm gonna lock down the house, shower and sleep...

*---*

"I have no idea how or why but the shower curtain just flew open on its own...

"I wasn't even near it or had the water running yet...

"It could have been a draft from somewhere and I could potentially check it out, but, okay, you know what? Forget it...

"I'm now completely drained from having been scared twice in the same hour and I just want to sleep to forget this weird day...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say is good job Hannibal.


	16. Two Days Later

*---*

"That's it. I'm seeing a specialist as soon as possible...

*---*

"This sleepwalking thing has officially gotten way out of hand...

"I've been having these vivid dreams coupled with the odd sleep walking slash recording session practically since moving to Baltimore. And that was all well and good when I would wonder a short distance, vaguely remember what I'd been doing and wake up at a human hour...

"But now the situation has become much more serious...

"I went to sleep Tuesday evening, ditching the shower in favor of taking some aspirin, planning to wake up for work the following day...

"But that wasn't what happened...

"Instead, I woke up in the middle of the field behind the house on Thursday afternoon, confused and covered in blood...

"So much blood. Too much blood. It was obviously a lethal amount for anyone or anything to lose...

"Needless to say, I panicked...

"I checked myself for injuries and found nothing but superficial scrapes on my knees, hands and feet. I checked every dog and they were fine, too...

"Then I began combing the field...

"I had to find what had happened, had to know if I'd unconsciously hurt someone, but, again, I couldn't find anything... 

"I then called the academy to assure that I hadn't been fired for missing two days worth of classes...

"Luckily, after I explained the situation, they were understanding as long as I sought medical attention...

"As if I hadn't already begun formulating plans to call the local hospital for references...

"I've scheduled an appointment for Monday morning and have been given medical leave until proof of proper medical treatment can be produced...

"I don't know what to do until then...

"I have four nights to wait out. Four times that I have to attempt to sleep. I suppose that all I can do is hope that my dreams remain in my mind and my body remains in my bed...

*---*


	17. Appointment

*---*

"Somehow, I made it until my Monday appointment without incident...

"And once I was with the doctor, I told her about everything that's been going on, save the, you know, ludicrous amounts of blood. Or the feeling of...sickening curiosity that seemed to follow in the dark nights that followed...

"I still have no idea what happened before I woke in the field...

"And, I mean...a doctor couldn't tell me what I'd done, especially if I myself didn't know. Simply what had caused me to do it, so why bother bringing it up to her? I just needed to know why...

"I figured I could always add that bit of information later once the diagnosis was given if I chose to...

"I told her about almost everything else that's happened to me since I came here: the move itself, Sean, the story with the house, finding Winston, my new job and refusing an even newer, more dangerous one...

"But I placed extra emphasis on the fact that I didn't understand why I was sleepwalking to such a severe degree when I never had in the past...

"So, believe it or not, in the end, the doctor said that she would most likely attribute my sleepwalking to stress...

"That's it...

"I'm honestly not sure whether to be relieved or...disappointed...but I've got no choice at this point but to trust her...

"She advised me to take a longer break from work to help me relax, as I haven't taken a proper vacation since...God, what? Three years ago? At least I know I haven't taken one in the months since moving to Maryland...

"I asked if I should be put on any sort of medication but she waved it off, saying that the matter should resolve itself in time...

"The only other thing she said was to possibly stay with someone close to me if I feared for my safety, to keep me from hurting myself...

"A few problems there...

"So I'm en route back to the house...

"I've been gone for almost four hours already...

"I'm not really hungry, but since I haven't eaten yet today, I should probably make myself something to eat...

"Also call the academy...

*---*

"I was too nervous to sleep normally, so I stopped off at a drugstore to get some sleep aids...

"I guess I want to try and actually stay in bed once I get there. Not wander physically around after my brain switches off...

"...really hope this works...

*---*


	18. Pick Up

*---*

"Sir?...

"Sir..

"Sir, are you alright? What's your name?...

"Will...Graham...

"Mr. Graham, where do you live?...

"Baltimore...Maryland...

"That's good, sir. Because that's where we are. What's that in your hand?...

"My...recorder...

"I see. Does that dog belong to you?...

"...hey, Winston... Um...can I sit down? My feet are sore...

"Sure, Mr. Graham. Come over to the cruiser, please...

"Thank you...

"...

"What are you doing out this late so underdressed? Have you been drinking or taking any recreational drugs?...

"No. I've...been sleepwalking lately. I saw a doctor earlier today about it, actually. She says it should resolve itself in time...

"That's very good to hear, sir. Should I give you a ride home?...

"Please...

"Go ahead and call your dog over, sir...

*---*

"The good news is that there was still no blood this time...

"The bad news is...I seem to be covering more ground rather than less...

"The police stopped me yesterday night, walking aimlessly down the main street in front of the house...

"Winston was by my side again, ever watchful until the two men actually sidled up next to me...

"They shown their flashlights in my eyes, which seemed to truly break the trance...

"Maybe I need to up the dose of those sleep aids...

*---*

"I woke in my bed this morning. That's promising...

*---*

"I take it back. It looks like I had quite the night last night...

*---*

"Okay, the kitchen's some semblance of clean again...

"I have no idea why I ended up doing all that...

"I'd taken nearly every piece of cookware out of the cabinets and drawers, put them on the floor and counters, left the cabinets and drawers open and also left the basement door open when I know I went to bed with it closed...

*---*

"This one truly dumbfounds me. I walked into the parlor after cleaning and found the fireplace lit. I...don't know how it's possible...

"I somehow, while unconscious, got my kindling ready. Enough to, somehow, last through the night. Prepared it properly in the fireplace. Got the matches down. Struck one. Then placed it in the fireplace all while managing to not harm myself...

"I have no explanation...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this title because it has the double meaning of being taken somewhere by police and cleaning a mess.
> 
> Word play :D


	19. Feeling

*---*

"I spent all day cleaning. Organizing. Grooming the dogs. Running errands...

"Everything I could think of to exhaust me...

"I'm so tired right now...

"And yet I'm afraid to go to sleep...

"...

"Unconsciousness was the one place I could feel...safe. But not anymore...

"I don't know what else to do but record... 

"...

"I never realized how quiet it was at 1:30 in the morning. I'm just...lying here, staring at the ceiling while listening to my breathing in the dark...

"I can hear the subtle clicks of my blinking eyes...

"The groaning of the house settling...

"The scratch and pad of dog footsteps as one goes for water or to readjust their position...

"...

"Maybe I should zip myself up in a sleeping bag. Like a poor man's straight jacket. Just for some peace of mind..

"Heh...

"...

"Huh...I just had a thought I haven't had since the move...

"Worth a shot I guess...

*---*

"-kay. Set that on the dresser so I don't drop it again... 

"Where's the lotion?...

"Oh, there it is. Good...

"Towel. Towel...

"Okay, here goes nothing I gue-

*---*

"I had no dreams as far I could remember after falling asleep last night, no signs of walking which is good. No surprise recordings...

"But I woke this morning feeling like...almost like I was being watched. Like...someone was over or beside me...

"I don't know. Maybe it's more like...when someone steps too close to someone else and, even though they didn't hear anyone approach, they know they're there...

"But the feeling dissipated within a few minutes...

"Maybe I did dream and I was still feeling the remnants of it...

*---*

"I'm getting that feeling again. I was just chopping vegetables when it felt...I don't know how to properly describe it...

*---*

"Okay, this is getting kind of weird...

"I just came home from the store and...

"...

"Maybe I didn't get as much sleep as I thought...

*---*


	20. Guard

*---*

"I woke with a small cut on my thumb. It didn't hurt, but...

"It's probably nothing. I was most likely just sleep walking again and bumped it on something...

*---*

"I should call the academy. Give them an update or something. Right?...

*---*

"My leave ends in a few days. I think it'll be a little weird going back. Maybe not with the students, but definitely with the faculty. I'm sure they've heard something...or at least noticed my sudden extended absence...

"I wonder what they think happened...

"...

"I think I'll turn in early tonight...

"I've been having fairly good luck with sleeping lately...

*---*

"Its been a while, but...I dreamt about the Doctor again...

"Dr. Lecter, that is...

"Hannibal...

"It was such a vivid dream...

"Oddly enough, I was asleep in it, watching as my body tossed and turned under the sheets. And yet I could comprehend what he would say if he tried to talk to me...

"Odd creatures, sometimes looking humanoid, morphed around my bed in the darkness...

"Roiling, shifting, black bodies lying in wait to crawl onto my covers...

"Into my mind to poison me...

"But Dr. Lect- Hannibal, with his features schooled, suit crisp and hair pristine, perched himself at my bedside, ever vigilant...

"If one came too close, he would physically place himself between them and me...

"It felt...good being protected. Worried about...

"If one became a bit too much for him to ward off, he would gently touch my arm, my chest, my cheek, urging me to relax. To clear my troubled mind...

"I would try and do as he said and, within moments, the creatures would slink away into the shadows. Though they wouldn't completely dissipate. My nightmares will most likely never truly go away, but...it was nice having some peace...

"The doct-, damn it. Hannibal, I mean, stayed with me all night. He spoke to me. I can't remember what exactly about...

"But that voice...

"His voice, even and deep, was the thing that soothed me into calm...

"With my eyes still closed, I whispered my thanks to him...

"He assured me that it was his pleasure...

"The last thing I remember him saying was for me to address him simply as Hannibal...

*---*

"That watched feeling is back...

*---*

"-lastic, please. No, you can keep the recei- 

*---*

"No dream last night, but I have a bruise now. About the size of an orange along my outer ribs...

"I wonder if I bumped a counter...

*---*

"Hannibal stood watch in my dream again, and he told me about his childhood. About his sister and his home land, though I'm not exactly sure where he said it was. That part of the dream is a little hazy...

"I actually think I'm beginning to look forward to sleeping...

*---*

"I need to "me proof" the house...

"Now I have three small slashes on my right leg...

"They're...oddly even...

*---*

"I'm heading back into work tomorrow, my leave being officially over...

"This may seem irrational to say but, Hannibal, if you're there, I hope I'll see you in my dreams...

*---*


	21. What if...

*---*

"The feeling's getting stronger. I can hardly concentrate on grading...

*---*

"I think I went outside again. I found dirt and mud tracked from the back door all the way to my bed...

*---*

"I don't know...

"Specific places in the house used to give me the feeling and were easily avoidable, but now I just have a sustained feeling of being intently watched. Observed...

"So I did some research to see if I could figure out a logical reason...

"First, I've heard from somewhere that limestone deposits may cause eerie feelings from prolonged exposure, but this is just a scientific theory and I've only just begun feeling this way after having lived here for months. I ran a quick local check just to be certain and I'm nowhere near anywhere that a deposit would be, so that's out...

"It could possibly be a side effect of certain sleep medications. Nearly every drug in existence causes some sort of side effect, but I've researched a bit and over the counter meds don't usually cause feelings of heightened paranoia...

"I'd had a passing thought that someone could have actually been lurking around my house. Maybe an employee of Jack's come to try and stubbornly continue to try and convince me to join him or something like that...

"But, as normally seems to be the case, when I looked, I found no proof that anyone other than myself had been near the house...

"So...I'm left with few options...

"Maybe I've just finally gone insane and have to accept that...

*---*

"Okay...okay...but, what if...

"What if it's the doctor's ghost. And...I don't mean just causing the watched feeling, I mean everything that's been going on...

"The sleepwalking, body marks, vivid dreams, everything...

"The idea crossed my mind earlier while I ate and ever since, I keep looking at the basement while I move through the house...

"I can't stop thinking about Hannibal's oil painting...

"Of the doctor's near maroon eyes and how they could possibly be following me from the room's dark depths...

"Or if the painting has nothing to do with him and he can just watch me as he pleases...

"...

"No, that's just stu-

*---*

"I normally wouldn't give this a second thought as to whether or not it was supernatural in origin. Working with police in homicide cases and forensics has made me believe for years that the supernatural isn't present, but...

"I think I may put the portrait back over the fireplace where I found it...

"Maybe Hannibal would like that...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy end of the third week, y'all! We're almost there!


	22. Research

*---*

"I've had Hannibal on my mind for a few days and, since it's a Saturday and I have off, I think it's high time that I actually found out a bit more about him...

"Just...out of curiosity...

"So I'm heading over to the local librar-

"No, Frankie. You can't come with me. Go on...

*---*

"So...Hannibal was a lot more complex than I had originally thought. I'd assumed that his murders would be mundane and methodical in order to harvest the parts he wanted to eat, but they were...incredibly well thought out. Ingenious. There are six books and over twenty articles written about him in that library alone. Not to mention the multiple websites I've been able to find on him...

"I only checked out two of the books. There's no way that I could read more than that in the allotted two weeks until they're due back...

"Hey, guys. Sorry I was gone so long...

"Who's hungry?...

*---*

"I've found a few photographs on the Internet from the crime scenes...

"It's so surreal looking at faded, sepia tinted photographs when I'm so used to seeing relatively high def glossies...

*---*

"I can tell that Hannibal was feeling inspired with this one. This particular victim was arranged in a way that was based on a famous piece of artwork...

"I'm comparing them side by side and I can honestly say that I hardly see a difference...

*---*

"He really wanted to be understood through these, and have his victims, who I can sense he felt were nothing more than common pigs, be his canvases of display...

"It's sad, really, that most people couldn't see these for what they were. They only saw grisly cases of unmotivated, unchecked psychosis. But I don't see them that way...

"Some cases were pure, real life poetry, exemplifying well known works or drawing attention to the negative aspects of the person being killed using nature or linguistics...

"With one, he even used liquid nitrogen to preserve the body in an exact position...

"Oh, and this one used different types of poisonous flowers...

*---*

"I've been looking up some of his victims and their history with Hannibal and I can say with certainty that most of the murders were not done without reason. Many were due to well known rudeness or disrespect toward the doctor, his home or his practice...

"From what I've read, Hannibal had worked hard as a foreigner in a new land to excel at everything he set out to do. Linguistics, cuisine, medicine, psychology. And disrespect was not to be taken lightly...

"Each new bit of information I find shines a brighter light on the full picture of the man that was Dr. Hannibal Lecter...

*---*

"I should get some sleep. Work in the morning. I hope to see you again tonight, Hannibal...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this, I've hit the 10,000 word mark! XD


	23. Kindness and Humor

*---*

"I had no idea that he actually had quite a hand in the local orphanages. There were only two in the area, but Hannibal would often pay for necessary repairs, hire proper tutors, give free check ups to the children and just overall keep both buildings well funded and sanitary...

"That was almost unheard of at that point in history. Well, a few things about the situation were. First, a well read man, who worked himself into a position in the upper class actually caring about children that weren't his own? Quite odd for the 1910's...

"And orphanages that most reported as being as nice to live in as any house? Amazing...

"Apparently, most children didn't want to be adopted in favor of staying in these places...

"One of the orphanages closed once the foster care system became more mainstream in America, but, I think one is still open...

*---*

"I confirmed through Internet browsing that what Hannibal told me in my dream psychiatry session a while back was true. His parents had died when he was very young and his sister had lived with him in their family home in poverty until she had died of unknown causes...

"See, these are the things, Hannibal, that I wish people remembered you for. Your kindness and generosity toward others that didn't have what you had...

"I want to discover more about you, Hannibal...

"I want to see you for who you really were...

*---*

"Oh my God, I shouldn't find this nearly as funny as I do but I can't stop laughing!...

"I decided to flip through the cookbook again, to see what some of these recipes in foreign languages said using a translator site, and I noticed that a name, in a seemingly nonsensical way, was placed randomly in the text of one page...

"Now, knowing Hannibal, he never did anything without good reason and...I can't, I need a minu-

*---*

"Okay, okay. So, um, the name seemed familiar somehow...

"Then it clicked!...

"Each recipe he used was specifically researched and written for one person that he particularly despised and he actually wrote their name into the instructions so as not to forget their rudeness!...

"And the best part was that, because most people in the area only spoke English, no one ever realized!...

"It was genius!...

"Hah...oh, jeez...

"Well, on that note, I think it's time to turn in...

"See you tonight, Hannibal...

*---*


	24. Comfortable

*---*

"There you go, guys. Go on...

"Buster, we're staying out longer than two minutes this time...

*---*

"The feeling of being watched has become constant, as if it was always there in the background and I'm only now noticing. It doesn't let up and I'm...starting to welcome it. It feels as if I'm never alone. Like how it feels to dream of Hannibal but while I'm awake. Like he's always there with me just within arm's reach...

"Sometimes, I feel like we're doing the same things at different times of the day. Like...eating or...showering or reading...even though he's dead...

"I find it comforting and, frankly, I don't care if it's real or not at this point...

*---*

"I don't know. If I were to hold a lecture on the altered psychology of a person who killed in self defense, I would have to include the information on the final when it's only a week away...

"Or, I could spend this last week giving them some leeway and deliver a lecture that the class wouldn't need to retain on murder statistics based on geographical locations...

"Equally interesting, in some regards, but I'm not sure if the information would apply to many of their future cases...

*---*

"Hannibal really outdid himself with this paper on the evolutionary origins of social exclusion. It's very interesting, even for a layman. Maybe next year I can make a unit on this...

*---*

"I'm heading out to the store for a bit. I'll be right back...

*---*

"I found a picture of Hannibal shaking hands with one of his future victims...

"Every photo I find, I'm happy to see Hannibal's ethereal beauty and mannerisms preserved in faded sepia. He's always dressed impeccably, making whoever he's standing beside pale in comparison...

"I wonder if Hannibal knew then that he would be killing that man or if he was still in Hannibal's good graces at that point...

*---*  
"Okay, so I'm almost done cleaning the parlor...

"I'm just going to dust your books and put them right back...

"...

"There. That's better...

*---*

"I've been...mulling this over for a bit, and I think it needs to be said...

"One of the primary reasons that I think I may be imagining all this is...well, besides the unlikelihood of it turning out to actually be a haunting by the Doctor, why would he not be attempting to drive me out of his house?...

"Why would he care enough to help someone like me who seems to be his near opposite?...

"It's silly to even think about seriously, I know, but still...

*---*


	25. Confession

*---*

"I had a pleasant surprise this morning...

"Even though I had fallen asleep in my bed, I woke in the armchair in the parlor with the pack curled around my feet...

"Kiki even decided to lay in my lap and I was apparently none the wiser...

"You're getting kind of shaggy, girl. Maybe it's time for a haircut?...

"...

"I haven't gone outside while sleepwalking in just over two weeks. Sometimes I'll be in the kitchen or at the dining room table or the parlor, but that's really it anymore...

"The fireplace is never lit, silverware stays in the drawers, the basement door stays closed and the front door stays locked...

"I enjoy these times. Not waking up afraid...

"I still get the occasional mark, but they're less extreme and placed in slightly more subtle areas on my body...

"I found a small round bruise between my shoulder blades by chance while I was drying off after a shower on Wednesday...

"The night before that, I had found one on my ribs just below my armpit...

"Though there's no proof that he's doing this, is it odd to think that Hannibal is trying to gently mark me?...

"Okay I should stop talking now...

"Outside, everyone...

*---*

"Oh, my dreams have also become more lucid...

"I can choose to get up and walk around, not have to stay in bed...

"My favorite place to sit is on the therapy couch while Hannibal takes a seat in the armchair...

"He looks good there, like a king on his throne...

"We talk about anything and everything...

"One night, he recited poetry. On another, I described where I grew up...

"I told him about making the best lures and he confided in me that his favorite dish to prepare was a type of black chicken soup...

"I later found the recipe in his cookbook...

"He's even given me a tour of the house where he explained his motivation behind every piece and design...

"It was...nice...

"More recently, the topics have strayed more toward what I think of Hannibal's legacy and if I'd considered doing anything similar to what he had...

"I mean, in all honestly I have considered it, but they would have to deserve it...

"I don't have much to be proud of so I'm certain rudeness wouldn't rile me to murder as much as it does Hannibal...

"The only instance in which I think I would murder someone is in self defense or to incite justice for a larger crime...

"Unease should be a result of this revelation I've come to. The fact that I can so casually talk about taking the life of another human being, but I only feel as if I don't have to hide myself like I have to with others. I feel accepted by this being that may or may not be a figment of my imagination...

"...

"I must admit that...I may have fallen for someone who's already dead...

*---*


	26. Concern

*---*

"Alana pulled me aside after class this afternoon. I guess she'd been observing my lecture because one of her classes had ended a bit early...

"I asked what she'd thought and, instead of one of her usual encouraging responses, she told me that she was a little concerned...

"I asked why and she avoided my eyes, which is odd because normally I'm the first to do it...

"She said that, according to some of my students, who she refused to name, I had been becoming more and more distant during lectures and difficult to meet with after classes...

"I assured her that I had no idea what she was talking about but, as the words were coming, she said that she agreed with them...

"She said that she'd seen it herself today, how I apparently paused for long periods of time to stare into space, forgot my place, mumbled nonsensically and mixed up slides...

"I have no idea what she was talking about because I remember my lecture flowing very naturally...

"I just wanted the conversation to be over, embarrassed to have her worry so unnecessarily over me, so I said that I had to get home...

"It wasn't a lie. I had to let the pack out and I wanted to turn in for bed as soon as possible. I was exhausted and I wanted to see Hannibal again...

"She put her hand on my shoulder as I turned to leave and said that she was always free to talk with me if I needed it...

"She was using her therapist voice and it made me internally cringe...

"I just wanted to be home...

*---*

"I did it again. I slept for an entire day...

"God, I need water...

*---*

"Luckily, there was no mysterious blood and no missed work this time, but my dreams are becoming so realistic that I couldn't even tell that I wasn't awake...

"In fact, the only reason that I can remember the need to wake up at all was because Hannibal told me to...

*---*

"Oddly enough, I'm tired again...

"What time is it?...

"I'm going to pee, refill the dog's bowls and then head back to sleep...

*---*


	27. I Have to Know

*---*

"I've decided that I want to try and communicate with Hannibal...

"Not just dream of him or talk at him throughout the day or have something happen that may or may not have been me while I slept...

"I need to know for certain whether or not he's really here with me...

*---*

"I don't think I'll be going the psychic route...

"Growing up in Louisiana, I was surrounded for years by many different aspects of cheap voodoo magic or psychic readings and I know that they don't really do anything...

"Where are my glasses?...

"I knew a lot of the people who used those gimmicks to make their living and at one point or another, one of them confided in me that what they did was just a fancier version of horoscope reading: very general and easy to fake...

"Not to say that what they did didn't cause a sort of placebo effect in their willing customers, but that was all it was. A placebo to get people to achieve whatever it was that they were looking to achieve...

"Or at least get close to it...

"So I'm assuming that what I need to do will have to be on my own...

*---*

"The most likely option seems to be a séance, though that's as far as I've come...

"There seem to be a lot more variables than I'd originally thought mattered...

"Here, I'll read off the notes I've compiled...

"If I have a close possession having belonged to the deceased, if I perform the seance on a specific day or during a full moon, if I use blood somehow, if I'm under the influence of drugs or alcohol, if I'm alone or with others...

"The list goes on...

"I mean, this isn't really a science and I don't exactly have a deadline, so I guess I can take my time with most of these...

"Maybe I could ever ask Hannibal if he has any ideas...

"...

"I hope I'm not being presumptuous...

*---*


	28. Cold Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will get a bit frisky on the therapy couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, folks. This is a chapter that I really need feedback on. I personally find what happens here to be rated T but you will have to let me know if I should change the rating of this fic. I hope you all enjoy this bit of Hannigram!

*---*

"I didn't dream at all last night. Not about Hannibal or anything else...

"I can't remember the last time that happened and, honestly, I don't know if that's a good thing...

"I'd hoped...

"Nothing. Forget it...

*---*

"I've been trying for hours now with no luck. I suppose that a full moon doesn't really make much of a difference, then...

"Maybe if I light some more candles...

*---*

"Still nothing...

*---*

"Oh my God...

"I...I have no words right now. I need a cold shower...

*---*

"I'm going to force this out no matter how embarrassing because I want to remember...

"Not that I think I'll ever forget but...details...I want to remember the details...

"...

"I fell asleep on the parlor floor last night and started dreaming almost right away, as if Hannibal were waiting for me...

"The dream was equally as vivid as the others I'd been having but...the tone of this one...it felt different somehow...

"Hannibal commented on my interesting new hobby and I turned to stare at the bookshelf, feeling his gaze on my back...

""Do you have any ideas," I asked, "on how you can contact me outside of here?"...

"Hannibal shrugged. "I do not. I wasn't very interested in such things in life"...

"I felt frustrated. I'd only tried the once to summon him, but it seemed stupid to have even attempted it...

""I keep second guessing whether or not you're real," I confided, never having actually spoken the words to him though I knew he could tell...

""And why is that, Will?" he asked me, ever patient...

"I sighed, confessing that I found Hannibal far too interesting and well mannered to be interested in someone even remotely like myself. Someone who was nothing like him...

""I'm sorry to hear that you see yourself that poorly, Will. I happen to find you quite beguiling"...

"I could feel myself blush against my will. "You're just saying that to be polite," I insisted. "I don't think that term suits me. Odd would be a more accurate description. If you are real, you probably only interact with me because I'm the only person you've seen in years"...

"Hannibal strode to stand in front of me and leaned in close, crowding me against the outer edge of the fireplace. The stone bit into my shoulder and I could smell his expensive cologne...

"It made my head spin and once again question how real this all was...

"Whether or not I was really dreaming...

""I always choose my words wisely, Will. Words are living things." He brushed his hand along my tensed jaw. "They have personality. Point of view. Agenda"...

"Hannibal's eyes seemed to smolder in the light of the fire, making my stomach do knotted twists...

"Without another word, Hannibal pulled away and I felt simultaneous disappointment and shame at that disappointment...

"That is until Hannibal unbuttoned his waistcoat and sat regally on the therapy couch, as if a monarch riding sidesaddle atop his stead...

"Okay, I got a little poetic there. Jesus, I knew this would be embarrassing...

"...

"So, anyway, I stood frozen, not sure what to do until Hannibal gestured for me to come forward...

"The couch was small and would surely be a cramped fit for two people, but because I'd assumed that Hannibal wanted me to, I curiously went to sit beside him...

"He stopped me before I got there, guiding my hip back toward him and throwing off my balance...

"I was going to crash into him, so I did the only thing I could think of to minimize the pain for both of us. I spread my legs and steadied my hands on Hannibal's shoulders to awkwardly straddle him...

"I was about to get up and apologize, but Hannibal slowly circled his hands around my waist... 

"My eyebrows shot up in disbelief...

""What are you doing?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and not make it obvious that I was looking anywhere but at Hannibal...

"That was when he said the last thing I would have expected...

""I would appreciate it if you would allow me to taste you, Will"...

"My thought process came to a screeching halt but Hannibal's hands continued with purposeful slowness to roam...

"When he started tugging at the edges of my tucked shirt, I couldn't find the will to resist. I felt lightheaded...

"Hannibal's fingertips traced lazy patterns up my spine making me shiver and shift closer...

""Please, Will," Hannibal pleaded, his voice sounding broken. "Please let me?"...

"I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as Hannibal pleaded to do exactly what I'd come to want with all of my being...

"I leant down and met Hannibal's plush lips. My hair blocked our faces from most of the glow from the fireplace...

"Hannibal released an unabashed moan of approval, pressing the palms of his hands firmly into into my back to draw me closer...

"This is where it gets kind of fuzzy because I felt like I was dreaming within a dream at that point...

"The first few kisses we shared were chaste, both of us simply testing the waters. But soon, we began to move against each other, hands roving over skin, tongues seeking to taste and hips finding friction...

"I took in the sight of that normally well put together gentleman, hair having gone wild, pupils blown, breath heavy and clothes rumpled and couldn't help the thrill of arousal that shot through me...

"I wanted so badly to give all of myself to him, everything I had from my body to my sanity, reality be damned, but Hannibal stopped me from leaning back in...

""I...must insist you wake, Will," he forced out...

"I drew back, certain that I'd done something that he hadn't liked, but Hannibal smiled below me...

"Though I would love nothing more than to continue, it is nearly morning...

"That's when I woke up in bed moments before my alarm for work scared the crap out of me...

"...

"I really did need that cold shower...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? Their clothes stayed on and their hands stayed above the waist. Do you think I should change the rating? It's up to y'all. :)


	29. Fucker

*---*

"I can't forget yesterday. Can't get it out of my mind...

"I need to keep trying...

*---*

"It's just after midnight and I lit some candles. I'm going to light the fireplace, too, and start again...

*---*

"Hannibal...please...

"I don't know what else to do. Or say...

"I want you to be here with me. Really...be here...

"Try. Try to show yourself. I know you can find a way...

"Show me that you're real. Show m-

"Oh my God!...

"...

"H-Hannibal? Is that yo-

"Wait, Sean? What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you I'd call the police if I saw you here again...

"...

"Well? Leave!...

"...

"Ah! What the fuck!? You...you sta-

"Winston! Buster! Ah...

"Aw, hoping your pack can save you, Will? Won't do you any good. They're currently indisposed. Can't hide behind them...

"...why? Why are you, gah, doing this...

"Why not? It's perfect, is t it?...

"Do you mind if I have a drink? No, of course you don't...

"...

"Oh, that's good... 

"...

"I've found my calling, Will. I truly believe that...

"Hey, buddy, try to stay awake, huh? I know you're losing some blood but at least listen before you die...

"I sell this house to poor, unsuspecting saps like you for cheap. Draw 'em in. The people before you were so much more trusting...

"I plant some idiotic local story in your anxious minds and add a little something to your water tank to help it along after inspection...

"Then I sneak in every once in a while to open some doors or shift some things around. Build paranoia...

"Hannibal...

"It's easy, really. None of you ever remembers to change your locks after moving in and I already have a set of keys...

"You practically invited me, Willy boy...

"Han...bal...

"Then I make 'em vanish when they're most vulnerable. Sleep deprived, desperate, afraid. And who would suspect a real estate agent to pull something like this?... 

"The house returns to the agency's possession, allowing me to start the process all over again and make more money...

"...

"Ah! Shit! What do you think you're-

"...

"...Ow!...

"Damn it!...

"You...you made me believe that I was going crazy...all those months...

"Ah...gah...yeah. Genius, wasn't it? Bet you...never suspected me...

"Why the cuts then? And the sleepwalking? What the hell did you give me!?...

"Gah...I have...absolutely...no idea what you're talking about...

"...

"Oh my God! Who the hell is that!? What's ha-

"...

"...

"...fucker...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly hate Sean.


	30. It's You

"Ah...gah, fuck...

"...

"Ph-phone...

"...

"Help...I'm bleeding out...I've been stabbed...gah...

"...

"As...ironic as it sounds...I feel, ah, alive right now...

"More alive...than I ever have...

"But I'm...so...cold...

"It's getting h-hard...to see...

"Hard...to breathe...

"I...don't want...to die...

"I knew...I wasn't...crazy...

"He was doing everything...

"It was drugs...

"And my mind...

"...

"I'm so stupid...

"...

"...

"...it's you?...

"It's...r-really...you...

"...Han-

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was so short but I felt it needed it.


	31. Home Again

*---*

"Officer Nan, Badge #: 867...

"Report #: 52765-C...

"Time: 11:57pm...

"Location: Residence. Baltimore, Maryland...

"We received a call from a Mr. William Graham at 9:36pm, stating that he had been assaulted at his residence and was in need of immediate medical attention...

"Upon reaching the home, signs of forced entry were visible. Inside, this officer discovered one deceased male on the floor with a fire poker still lodged in his chest cavity. Another man was found unconscious and bleeding profusely from a single, large knife wound to the abdomen, grasping a running audio tape recorder ...

"Once the home was deemed safe for entry, medics worked quickly and Mr. Graham was driven to Baltimore Medical Center. The local morgue was called to pick up the other unknown man and a separate report will be filed on that individual presently...

"Mr. Graham is currently in stable condition and will be questioned upon waking...

"Recorder seized by police as evidence...

*---*

"Hello. I'm Dr. Alon. How are you today, Will?...

"Fine. Eager to go home and see my dogs...

"I'm sure you are. You've been through quite an ordeal these past few weeks. I'd just like to talk about a few things...

"...okay...

"Good. So, first, how do you feel. Having survived a near death experience and taken a life can be quite jarring...

"Without a doubt, but like I said, Doctor, I'm fine. Being an ex police officer, I've been through these types of situations before...

"I thought you'd say something like that, Mr. Graham. And I believe you. I feel as if most negative psychological effects would have manifested in some way, shape or form by now. But, I have to ask about something else that I'm actually more concerned about...

"Who is Hannibal Lecter?...

"...

"Will?...

"I'm guessing you're not from around here...

"No, actually. I've just moved here from Florida. Why...

"Oh, nothing. It's just that he's a near urban legend around here. Dr. Lecter was a psychiatrist who lived...

"No, no, Will. I've listened to your tapes, so I know who he was as a person. I mean, who is he to you?...

"...does it matter?...

"It matters if you would like to be released home today. Otherwise, I would have to fail you on this evaluation and insist that you remain in our care until we have deemed you mentally fit to leave...

"He...I thought that he was haunting me. And my dreams. That's all. If you really listened to the tapes, you would have heard Sean admit that his little cocktail in my water supply was to blame...

"But this mentality took up so much of your life since coming here. How do you feel not having the thought of him to return to?...

"What makes you think I won't think of him?...

"I mean thinking of him as being with you. You seemed incredibly eager to bring him into existence and even entertained ideas of having a romantic relationship with this man. This long dead cannibal. I don't see those feelings as just going away...

"I'm not really sure what you expect me to say. I identified with him as a misunderstood guy. He's not real. Not even his ghost. Case closed. You're right that it...hurts to think about that after all this time, but I can accept it and move on...

"Good, Will. Very good. I agree that you can work past those feelings with time and therapy...

"Great. So...I can go, now?...

"One last thing. On the recording, you seem to have thought that you saw someone. Who?...

"No one. I must have been hallucinating from blood loss. If that's all?...

*---*

"I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I've been home. The place seems so quiet without the pack here. I really have to thank Alana later for watching them for me...

"Hannibal?...

"...

"Hello?...

"...

"I must admit that you're a resilient one, Mr. Graham. I wasn't entirely certain that they would be able to save you. Please, come sit...

"I only fought so hard because I had to see you again. I'm sorry I've been gone so long...

"I see that it was not without reason. You seem quite well now...

"Physically, I healed up pretty quick. The scar's pretty thick but it's holding everything together just fine...

"They sort of took my tapes as evidence and they heard everything that I've been doing and thinking involving you. They told me that I needed a proper psych eval to prove that I was fit to go home and not be detained. I told them what they wanted to hear about you, they let me leave and here I am...

"Thank you, by the way. For giving me that extra push I needed at the end with Sean...

"Of course, good Will. It wasn't difficult with all of that bloodlust and adrenaline running through you. You simply required a gentle nudge. And I couldn't very well sit idly by while you were gutted like a common pig...

"Yes, you could have. But I'm glad you didn't...

"Are you? You're now a murderer...

"I'm aware. I feel...more like myself than I ever have before. I took his life before he was able to take mine...

"I was expecting something like this to happen. I attempted what interference I could only when what Sean did would be directly detrimental to you. Otherwise, your decisions would not have been your own, as I desired for you. For you to find your becoming, you simply needed guidance...

"My becoming...

"I like that...

"And I like your form, now. It's pretty to look at. Can you go step into the light?...

"...wow. It's actually almost hard to see you over there. You're nearly translucent...

"All due to Sean's sacrifice, I believe. I'm glad that it holds up to your expectations...

"Do I hold up to yours?...

"You always have, Will. More so even now...

"Now that I have become, more or less, some semblance of physical again, I can assure you that, while I have you, you will never come into harm in this house again...

"...except by you, right?...

"Not unless you wish it...

"Promise?...

"I do...

"Good. I think I like it when you mark me...

"As do I, mylimasis...

*---*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed the journey with me! XD
> 
> I may add another chapter in the future that's a bit more risqué, but I'll have to see how I feel. :3
> 
> Please be sure to let me know what you thought!

**Author's Note:**

> How are you liking it? Is there anything you'd like to see touched on or added? Any tags you'd like me to add? Please feel free to review and tell me. :3


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